Paul McCarthy is a legendary performance artist, painter and filmmaker. He is less known for his work as a musician, though he has been active as an improvising sound artist since his days in music school. Today, he continues to play with his band, Extended Organ (formed with Mike Kelley) and to edit the sound in his films with the sensibility of noise and collage. In this episode, McCarthy describes his life in music, his early influences, and his mysterious interactions with a man who may have been the chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer.

Paul McCarthy, Whipping a Wall and a Window with Paint, 1974, performance, video, b/w photographs. © Paul McCarthy. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth; photo: Al Payne

Ross Simonini

Produced by ArtReview and Ross Simonini